When Mercedes-Benz unveiled the CLS Concept Shooting Break
at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show back in April, the company erroneously
named it a “Shooting Break.” It’s understandable, as the French call
this type of car a “break de chasse,” and break is listed as an
alternate spelling in some glossaries. However, anyone who grew up in
the U.K. knows that a shooting brake is a luxury 2-door coupé (or less
commonly a 4-door sedan) with a station wagon rear end. Of course in the
U.K. the generic term for an ordinary station wagon is “estate car.”
Before the Second World War Shooting Brakes were popular with the landed gentry in the U.K. Because of this, “shooting brake” is the accepted name reserved, if you will, for luxury station wagons such as the handful of Aston Martin Shooting Brakes custom-made in the 1960s.
Fast forward to today and Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it will produce the CLS Shooting Brake as a new model in 2012. The press release clearly calls it the CLS Shooting Brake. It’s an appropriate name that could easily have been attached to other recently launched luxury station wagons.
The second-generation 2012 CLS 4-door coupé, which was unveiled at the recent Paris Auto Show, has already garnered several rave reviews for its sleek lines. The new Shooting Brake barely alters the overall sweeping look despite the longer roof and tailgate.
While European buyers will have a wide choice of engines it looks as if the new 4.7-liter twin-turbo V-8 that is powering the 2012 CLS 550 will be the only choice, at least initially, in the U.S. when the CLS Shooting Brake goes on sale later in 2011. It produces 402 bhp at 5250 rpm and 443 lb.-ft. of torque from 1600-4750 rpm.
Like the CLS, the Shooting Brake will offer a barrage of safety items including 12 airbags and optional features such as a dozen driver-assistance systems to help prevent accidents and reduce the severity if one should occur. The Active Blind Spot Assist and the Active Lane Keeping Assist are new. The Shooting Brake will also have the same all-new electromechanical Direct-Steer system that is appearing first in the CLS.
One of the most interesting new options is the LED High Performance Active headlamps that Mercedes-Benz says are a world first. They are closer to daylight than Bi-Xenon lights, which Mercedes-Benz claims is less tiring, yet they produce as much light. Each headlamp contains 71 LEDs that can be adjusted in a variety of ways, including spreading light around corners. In addition, the left headlamp can be dipped independently of the right to improve the view for the driver while avoiding dazzling oncoming vehicles.
The Shooting Brake will be built on the same production line as the CLS, along with the E-Class upon which the CLS models are based, at the facility in Sindelfingen—Mercedes-Benz’s largest plant.
Before the Second World War Shooting Brakes were popular with the landed gentry in the U.K. Because of this, “shooting brake” is the accepted name reserved, if you will, for luxury station wagons such as the handful of Aston Martin Shooting Brakes custom-made in the 1960s.
Fast forward to today and Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it will produce the CLS Shooting Brake as a new model in 2012. The press release clearly calls it the CLS Shooting Brake. It’s an appropriate name that could easily have been attached to other recently launched luxury station wagons.
The second-generation 2012 CLS 4-door coupé, which was unveiled at the recent Paris Auto Show, has already garnered several rave reviews for its sleek lines. The new Shooting Brake barely alters the overall sweeping look despite the longer roof and tailgate.
While European buyers will have a wide choice of engines it looks as if the new 4.7-liter twin-turbo V-8 that is powering the 2012 CLS 550 will be the only choice, at least initially, in the U.S. when the CLS Shooting Brake goes on sale later in 2011. It produces 402 bhp at 5250 rpm and 443 lb.-ft. of torque from 1600-4750 rpm.
Like the CLS, the Shooting Brake will offer a barrage of safety items including 12 airbags and optional features such as a dozen driver-assistance systems to help prevent accidents and reduce the severity if one should occur. The Active Blind Spot Assist and the Active Lane Keeping Assist are new. The Shooting Brake will also have the same all-new electromechanical Direct-Steer system that is appearing first in the CLS.
One of the most interesting new options is the LED High Performance Active headlamps that Mercedes-Benz says are a world first. They are closer to daylight than Bi-Xenon lights, which Mercedes-Benz claims is less tiring, yet they produce as much light. Each headlamp contains 71 LEDs that can be adjusted in a variety of ways, including spreading light around corners. In addition, the left headlamp can be dipped independently of the right to improve the view for the driver while avoiding dazzling oncoming vehicles.
The Shooting Brake will be built on the same production line as the CLS, along with the E-Class upon which the CLS models are based, at the facility in Sindelfingen—Mercedes-Benz’s largest plant.
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